Tell your wife to pick 3 counties from the red/blue map and decide from there.
Lifelong Californian here, I don’t know much about Nevada, but I would vote that you move to a borderline purple state as opposed to a solid red state so you can help keep it from becoming blue.
Well you cannot be close to Tahoe if you wish to escape liberalism. Having done Tahoe in the 70’s to the extreme, it doesn’t appeal to me in the least at this point, but that’s just me.
Having investigated Nevada “some” the choices seem fairly extreme and problematical, in their way(s). You can go northeastern and essentially be in Idaho; or northwestern and be in extreme No CA/Oregon; both of which might well fulfill the climate/hunting/topology you wish but if you draw a line across Nevada at Reno/Sparks, north of that line there’s almost nothing; which has an impact on socialization and all that implies.
Nevada is everywhere a tough choice, IMHO. I was planning on moving there in 2002 when I foolishly sold my duplex. I was never able to find an area that appealed to me that much. Part of that is from living in a nice area in CA (though I have exactly the same escape aspirations you do) The choice is easier if you wish to camp in the middle of nowhere with your family. If you want something resembling a small city with some resources around, it’s harder. Carson City tempted me, but now real estate has become stupid expensive there.
Ultimately you may wish to expand your search to Idaho.
I am making an assumption here. Are you going to change the voting habits that caused this massive cluster? If not, please do not move into Virginia. It sucks enough already.
Move to a small town.
Higher quality of life, no crime, no congestion and simple living.
And no high taxes, burdensome regulations and bureaucracy to deal with.
What’s not to like?
Although I live in Tennessee, I’m partial to Southern Utah
For instance Bluff.
I don’t know about the politics but think it is not progressive
“My biggest concern is that Nevada will become a liberal spit-hole like California some time after I move there.”
My wife grew up in Las Vegas. She hates what it has become. When she moved to CA she did so because 53 years ago Las Vegas was already in the process of becoming the $hit hole that it is today. Clark County now controls the entire state. It doesn’t matter how the people in the rest of the state vote, because as Clark County goes, so goes Nevada. Nevada is the ultimate example of what a single large urban population center can do to the politics of a state. So much to say, sadly Nevada is California on steroids. Quite frankly the case for Northern Nevada forming it’s own new state is greater than that of California. There are currently 2.5 million in Clark County, with the rest of the state being less than 500,000. So moving to Nevada will insure that your vote means absolutely nothing.
The more important issue is this business of moving away from Liberalism. Yeah, you can salvage a few years, say moving to Texas, but Texas is well on it’s way, via the dual problems of large RAT-infested big cities, coupled with a gaggle of counties on the Rio Grande that are Mexican RAT-run, that it will turn blue, in the not too distant future( rant on Texas $hit kickers, but you know that it’s coming). So unless Conservatives are willing to stay where they grew up and fight the Left, we may as well hand over the whole country to them and kiss our Republic good bye.
More important than anything....move somewhere where you can find a job.
It costs about 10k to move your average family across country and if you don’t have a job waiting, you have just lit fire to a bunch of money.
Also know you are not going to find everything on your list.
Some places are affordable but jobs are unavailable.
Others have poor weather or have frequent storms.
Invest some time into doing research and then fly in to see if you like it and check on home prices.
If you don’t mind the winters, I’d suggest Sioux Falls SD.
Don’t laugh. Take a look into it.
Good medical establishments, good roads, good schools, no state income taxes, lots of housing choices, good shopping and entertainment options, etc.
Tell your wife to pick 3 counties from the red/blue map and decide from there.
Why not Arizona?
Take a hard look at the state budget first.
There’s still room in Utah.
We left California in 2010 for eastern Tennessee — Bible Belt. It’s great!
bump